"Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be."
(St. Thomas More)
"If you don't keep in touch with Christ in prayer and in the Bread, how can you make him known to others?"
(St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, #105)
Go here to see what I wrote on the Pope's message for lent two years ago.
I found this quote, and I thought it is a good one for the beginning of Lent.
"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials."
St. Teresa of Avila
May we bear our trials joyfully this Lent and cling the more closely to Christ.
"We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials."
St. Teresa of Avila
May we bear our trials joyfully this Lent and cling the more closely to Christ.
Here is a little quote from him whose feast day has just begun:
"Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."
"Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."
I spent a short time in religious life at a wonderful abbey of faithful priests in southern California. Their apostolates are education, parish ministry, and beautiful liturgy, especially chant. Their land is unstable, and so they are in the process of relocating to a more remote area in the mountains. In an effort to pay a small portion of the move, they have begun to produce their wonderful and unique chant. Their first cd came out for Christmas, and they are about to release their second. I highly recommend it.
Dear Friends of St. Michael’s
On February 10th the new Abbey CD, entitled “Anthology,” will be released. We are all very excited by this upcoming event as it provides an excellent opportunity to make the Abbey and our Expansion Project more widely known. Youtube already has a preview of the CD. Please help us in getting the word out about the CD by forwarding the following notation:
Here is a link to a preview of the new St. Michael’s Abbey CD to be released on February 10th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4LEwtA_Nbo. [If it doesn't pop up correctly, search "Norbertine Fathers" to find the video.]
It promises to be an even better seller than their Christmas CD. Please circulate this link to as many persons as possible to get the word out. The CD will be available for purchase at several websites including:
http://stmichaelsabbey.com/Abbey-Store.html
http://www.Amazon.com and
http://www.monasterygreetings.com
I thank you in advance for your help and assure you of the prayers of all the confreres.
Sincerely in Christ,
The Right Reverend Eugene J. Hayes, O.Praem.
Abbot
Dear Friends of St. Michael’s
On February 10th the new Abbey CD, entitled “Anthology,” will be released. We are all very excited by this upcoming event as it provides an excellent opportunity to make the Abbey and our Expansion Project more widely known. Youtube already has a preview of the CD. Please help us in getting the word out about the CD by forwarding the following notation:
Here is a link to a preview of the new St. Michael’s Abbey CD to be released on February 10th:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4LEwtA_Nbo. [If it doesn't pop up correctly, search "Norbertine Fathers" to find the video.]
It promises to be an even better seller than their Christmas CD. Please circulate this link to as many persons as possible to get the word out. The CD will be available for purchase at several websites including:
http://stmichaelsabbey.com/Abbey-Store.html
http://www.Amazon.com and
http://www.monasterygreetings.com
I thank you in advance for your help and assure you of the prayers of all the confreres.
Sincerely in Christ,
The Right Reverend Eugene J. Hayes, O.Praem.
Abbot
Today the Vatican started to provide youtube videos to better spread the Gospel via the internet. Go here to see the new portal to the Pope.
I really like this quote from Saint Louis de Montfort about prayer:
"Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray."
"Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray."
Below is a short snippet of the Holy Father's address of 11.12.08 in Paris. The point of what he says here is that education, ultimately, is geared toward knowing and serving God and understanding His Word. One of the main reasons one learns to read and to read well is to be able to read and understand the Bible, and in so doing, a door is opened to better know Christ.
"The longing for God, the désir de Dieu, includes amour des lettres, love of the word, exploration of all its dimensions. Because in the biblical word God comes towards us and we towards him, we must learn to penetrate the secret of language, to understand it in its construction and in the manner of its expression. Thus it is through the search for God that the secular sciences take on their importance, sciences which show us the path towards language. Because the search for God required the culture of the word, it was appropriate that the monastery should have a library, pointing out pathways to the word. It was also appropriate to have a school, in which these pathways could be opened up. Benedict calls the monastery a dominici servitii schola. The monastery serves eruditio, the formation and education of man – a formation whose ultimate aim is that man should learn how to serve God. But it also includes the formation of reason – education – through which man learns to perceive, in the midst of words, the Word itself."
"The longing for God, the désir de Dieu, includes amour des lettres, love of the word, exploration of all its dimensions. Because in the biblical word God comes towards us and we towards him, we must learn to penetrate the secret of language, to understand it in its construction and in the manner of its expression. Thus it is through the search for God that the secular sciences take on their importance, sciences which show us the path towards language. Because the search for God required the culture of the word, it was appropriate that the monastery should have a library, pointing out pathways to the word. It was also appropriate to have a school, in which these pathways could be opened up. Benedict calls the monastery a dominici servitii schola. The monastery serves eruditio, the formation and education of man – a formation whose ultimate aim is that man should learn how to serve God. But it also includes the formation of reason – education – through which man learns to perceive, in the midst of words, the Word itself."
"Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when from from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar."
– St. Francis of Assisi
– St. Francis of Assisi
In October, the sixth through eighth graders went to Regions Hospital to pray there for an hour so that they would stop performing abortions there. We remained silent on the twenty-minute ride there and back, and while we were there, we prayed fifteen decades of the rosary. We were kneeling on the grass next to the sidewalk for about three decades; a policewoman came and told us to move to the sidewalk, which we immediately did.
Here are twenty-five students’ reflections on the event:
#1
We kept saying Hail Mary’s ... it seemed like time had changed into eternity, and the only tense was present. I offered myself to God so one baby, or more, could be saved. When the policewoman said we had to be on the sidewalk, I remembered one of Father’s homilies where the police arrested a woman for shaking holy water on an abortion clinic. I saw many cars on the way there who obviously didn’t support babies’ lives. It was awakening to see how people were so pro-abortion and how important it is for us to pray for them and babies. This was my first encounter with the police on a prayer mission, and it made me focus on those who are, sadly, against life. Now I’ve learned one powerful thing: we must not step down!
#2
Coming from a public school, I’ve never done anything like this before. I have never really prayed in front of non-Catholics before, besides my best friend. I thought it would be extremely awkward praying near a hospital in the heart of Saint Paul, and it was, but only at first. Those unborn babies need prayers more than anything else, and I’m willing to pray in front of anyone for an innocent life to be safe. We are the soldiers of Christ, so we better start acting like soldiers, and we can begin by praying for the unborn, right at the place where they’re being murdered. A hospital is supposed to be a place for life, not death.
#3
I loved it that we were silent on the way there and back. For some reason, it was not as hard to keep quiet as I thought. Maybe, it was because I was in a state of prayer, and my heart and mind were on those babies. I liked that the students got to lead the decades this time, and it was easier to hear because of the megaphone. This is probably the best field trip of the year because as Mrs. Coone said, we were actually on battleground. We always pray for the unborn, and that’s a great thing, but to actually be there where innocent lives are being taken away is very powerful and moving. We were also being witnesses to the public who stopped and stared. It really felt like we were being soldiers for Christ.
#4
Going to the Regions Hospital was a good experience for the junior high and me. I definitely found it surprising that the policewoman asked us to get off the grass. Other than that, the trip to the hospital and back was done in silence. I liked that. We did prayers and sacrifices for the babies who don’t have voices. It is hard to not speak for thirty minutes, and the poor babies are going to be killed and they can’t even say anything. I definitely liked this experience. I was going to complain about how my knees hurt when we were kneeling, but it is nothing compared to the hurt of abortion.
#5
I thought that it was very special to take time out of our day to go pray for babies. Praying the rosary was vey nice, and I wish we could have knelt more. I thought it was weird when the policewoman told us to move. I don’t get it because we were being very peaceful. Another weird thing was that the hospital looked so huge and wonderful on the outside but was really killing innocent babies.
#6
Praying at the hospital gave me time to reflect on what I was really praying. It actually made me think about what I was praying for. So this trip that we had was very helpful so that I wasn’t all distracted when I was at home. I hope to do this again sometime.
#7
I think that what we did was beautiful. I know some observers didn’t like it, but I think it was glorious. I really believe we did save a few lives. Whether someone in the hospital or someone driving by, we still changed hearts. I think Jesus and Mary were happy too!
#8
I think we may have saved lives through this prayer. The people walking by noticed us and maybe thought about what we were saying. I prayed for the doctors I saw outside. I saw the people in their cars look at us. I prayed for them too.
#9
I think it was a wonderful idea to pray the rosary in front of the hospital. I feel so sorry for the babies that have been and are being aborted. I didn’t feel funny or embarrassed. I felt proud to be a Catholic. I was glad we prayed for the end of abortion because it really needs to stop. It isn’t fair some babies will never get to see a beautiful day like today. I hope we saved at least one babies’ life.
#10
I think it was a great thing, what we just did. I didn’t care about anyone watching us because I knew it was a good thing to do! It was a great blessing to be able to do that. At the time when we were praying, I was deep in thought and prayer. My thoughts were about all the babies who might have been or were going to be aborted there. Also on the bus ride there and back, I was praying. I’m glad we had an opportunity like that.
#11
I think we were doing a great thing praying, and I hope we changed the heart of some mom that was going to have an abortion. I enjoyed doing this. I thought it was a great way to pray and to offer sacrifice. As I was saying the rosary, I almost cried thinking about how anyone could even think of killing a baby because it’s just such a horrible sin. I can only hope as we pray more and more for this to end, that more and more mothers will stop aborting babies. I hope we pray there again.
#12
I thought the prayer vigil was very sad. When Mrs. Coone said we were sitting on the battlefield, I was surprised, but I realized the killing was happening inside. We were also not fighting with guns, or swords or any other deadly thing. We were fighting with our love. I could just see and feel the pain those babies were going through. It was just very sad some people looked at us like we were crazy. After, I was thinking about how somebody can just kill a living, breathing person. It’s if someone came into your house and killed your sister.
#13
I thought that being at Regions praying for all the little babies that could not speak up for themselves was very charitable and is a good way to earn grace. At first I was afraid to be there praying in public, but I got over it.
#14
I always love to go to Regions to pray for all those abortions being committed so that they stop. Many people tend to look at us and wonder what in the world we are doing, and it does feel strange, but that’s o.k. I also notice that every once in a while people who are against abortion will come up and congratulate us for what we are doing. I am very glad we had the chance to go there this year.
#15
It was very horrible to think that as we were praying, babies were being murdered right there in front of us! But, it was an awesome thought that we were praying for the babies and their mom and dad. I just hope people will change their ways and hearts and not abort babies who are unable to speak for themselves.
#16
It was very peaceful on the bus when we didn’t talk. I think it really made a difference because we got a taste of what the babies get, not being able to talk. Also, I thought that it was a prayerful time too, because we couldn’t talk out loud so we talked silently to God in our hearts.
#17
I thought it was very cool. It was also awesome that we might’ve been the only ones praying for the silent babies that might have been aborted at that time. I also thought it brought the junior high together, especially the boys. The boys volunteered to lead the rosaries, and I would have thought some of those boys were too cool to do that.
#18
I thought that being silent on the way there was very loving for all the babies. It was my first time going there because I was sick last year, and I loved praying and meditating on the prayers. It was comforting knowing that you could be saving a life.
#19
I thought that our field trip was a great experience. I liked that we took turns leading the rosary. It was awesome to think that we might have spared a life. I hope we get to do this next year because it was wonderful that we got to go to out on the battlefield and really fight to save lives.
#20
I thought our field trip to Regions Hospital was great! It was really nice that everyone was quiet on the bus. When we were at the hospital everyone was very respectful and reverent during the rosary. Also I know that a lot of people noticed us and knew why we were there. FI hope this is something we continue to do because it was very meaningful and beautiful.
#21
I think the field trip to Regions Hospital was great. It really made me stop and think about all the unborn babies that are being killed. I think we should do this every year. It’s a great experience. I also think the trip in silence was very special since we represent the babies who can’t speak.
#22
I had a good time. It felt goo to do something about abortion. I don’t care that people honked and stuff like that. I am glad we did this.
#23
I thought it was a great experience for us because now we know that abortion is real and they are killing babies. Today, even though it was tiring, we did the right thing.
#24
Praying the rosary at Regions Hospital made me feel nervous and good. I was only nervous at the beginning though because you don’t see a group of people wearing the same thing walking around in circles every day. After a while I wasn’t nervous anymore, and that’s when I felt good. I felt good because we were praying and because we were doing it for a good cause.
#25
I thought that it was really nice to actually go and pray the rosary right where the abortions were actually happening. Next time I think that we should pray the rosary on the bus too. Some people fell asleep so maybe that would help them to stay awake. I also liked how you had different people lead the different decades. It was a fun field trip I thought.
Here are twenty-five students’ reflections on the event:
#1
We kept saying Hail Mary’s ... it seemed like time had changed into eternity, and the only tense was present. I offered myself to God so one baby, or more, could be saved. When the policewoman said we had to be on the sidewalk, I remembered one of Father’s homilies where the police arrested a woman for shaking holy water on an abortion clinic. I saw many cars on the way there who obviously didn’t support babies’ lives. It was awakening to see how people were so pro-abortion and how important it is for us to pray for them and babies. This was my first encounter with the police on a prayer mission, and it made me focus on those who are, sadly, against life. Now I’ve learned one powerful thing: we must not step down!
#2
Coming from a public school, I’ve never done anything like this before. I have never really prayed in front of non-Catholics before, besides my best friend. I thought it would be extremely awkward praying near a hospital in the heart of Saint Paul, and it was, but only at first. Those unborn babies need prayers more than anything else, and I’m willing to pray in front of anyone for an innocent life to be safe. We are the soldiers of Christ, so we better start acting like soldiers, and we can begin by praying for the unborn, right at the place where they’re being murdered. A hospital is supposed to be a place for life, not death.
#3
I loved it that we were silent on the way there and back. For some reason, it was not as hard to keep quiet as I thought. Maybe, it was because I was in a state of prayer, and my heart and mind were on those babies. I liked that the students got to lead the decades this time, and it was easier to hear because of the megaphone. This is probably the best field trip of the year because as Mrs. Coone said, we were actually on battleground. We always pray for the unborn, and that’s a great thing, but to actually be there where innocent lives are being taken away is very powerful and moving. We were also being witnesses to the public who stopped and stared. It really felt like we were being soldiers for Christ.
#4
Going to the Regions Hospital was a good experience for the junior high and me. I definitely found it surprising that the policewoman asked us to get off the grass. Other than that, the trip to the hospital and back was done in silence. I liked that. We did prayers and sacrifices for the babies who don’t have voices. It is hard to not speak for thirty minutes, and the poor babies are going to be killed and they can’t even say anything. I definitely liked this experience. I was going to complain about how my knees hurt when we were kneeling, but it is nothing compared to the hurt of abortion.
#5
I thought that it was very special to take time out of our day to go pray for babies. Praying the rosary was vey nice, and I wish we could have knelt more. I thought it was weird when the policewoman told us to move. I don’t get it because we were being very peaceful. Another weird thing was that the hospital looked so huge and wonderful on the outside but was really killing innocent babies.
#6
Praying at the hospital gave me time to reflect on what I was really praying. It actually made me think about what I was praying for. So this trip that we had was very helpful so that I wasn’t all distracted when I was at home. I hope to do this again sometime.
#7
I think that what we did was beautiful. I know some observers didn’t like it, but I think it was glorious. I really believe we did save a few lives. Whether someone in the hospital or someone driving by, we still changed hearts. I think Jesus and Mary were happy too!
#8
I think we may have saved lives through this prayer. The people walking by noticed us and maybe thought about what we were saying. I prayed for the doctors I saw outside. I saw the people in their cars look at us. I prayed for them too.
#9
I think it was a wonderful idea to pray the rosary in front of the hospital. I feel so sorry for the babies that have been and are being aborted. I didn’t feel funny or embarrassed. I felt proud to be a Catholic. I was glad we prayed for the end of abortion because it really needs to stop. It isn’t fair some babies will never get to see a beautiful day like today. I hope we saved at least one babies’ life.
#10
I think it was a great thing, what we just did. I didn’t care about anyone watching us because I knew it was a good thing to do! It was a great blessing to be able to do that. At the time when we were praying, I was deep in thought and prayer. My thoughts were about all the babies who might have been or were going to be aborted there. Also on the bus ride there and back, I was praying. I’m glad we had an opportunity like that.
#11
I think we were doing a great thing praying, and I hope we changed the heart of some mom that was going to have an abortion. I enjoyed doing this. I thought it was a great way to pray and to offer sacrifice. As I was saying the rosary, I almost cried thinking about how anyone could even think of killing a baby because it’s just such a horrible sin. I can only hope as we pray more and more for this to end, that more and more mothers will stop aborting babies. I hope we pray there again.
#12
I thought the prayer vigil was very sad. When Mrs. Coone said we were sitting on the battlefield, I was surprised, but I realized the killing was happening inside. We were also not fighting with guns, or swords or any other deadly thing. We were fighting with our love. I could just see and feel the pain those babies were going through. It was just very sad some people looked at us like we were crazy. After, I was thinking about how somebody can just kill a living, breathing person. It’s if someone came into your house and killed your sister.
#13
I thought that being at Regions praying for all the little babies that could not speak up for themselves was very charitable and is a good way to earn grace. At first I was afraid to be there praying in public, but I got over it.
#14
I always love to go to Regions to pray for all those abortions being committed so that they stop. Many people tend to look at us and wonder what in the world we are doing, and it does feel strange, but that’s o.k. I also notice that every once in a while people who are against abortion will come up and congratulate us for what we are doing. I am very glad we had the chance to go there this year.
#15
It was very horrible to think that as we were praying, babies were being murdered right there in front of us! But, it was an awesome thought that we were praying for the babies and their mom and dad. I just hope people will change their ways and hearts and not abort babies who are unable to speak for themselves.
#16
It was very peaceful on the bus when we didn’t talk. I think it really made a difference because we got a taste of what the babies get, not being able to talk. Also, I thought that it was a prayerful time too, because we couldn’t talk out loud so we talked silently to God in our hearts.
#17
I thought it was very cool. It was also awesome that we might’ve been the only ones praying for the silent babies that might have been aborted at that time. I also thought it brought the junior high together, especially the boys. The boys volunteered to lead the rosaries, and I would have thought some of those boys were too cool to do that.
#18
I thought that being silent on the way there was very loving for all the babies. It was my first time going there because I was sick last year, and I loved praying and meditating on the prayers. It was comforting knowing that you could be saving a life.
#19
I thought that our field trip was a great experience. I liked that we took turns leading the rosary. It was awesome to think that we might have spared a life. I hope we get to do this next year because it was wonderful that we got to go to out on the battlefield and really fight to save lives.
#20
I thought our field trip to Regions Hospital was great! It was really nice that everyone was quiet on the bus. When we were at the hospital everyone was very respectful and reverent during the rosary. Also I know that a lot of people noticed us and knew why we were there. FI hope this is something we continue to do because it was very meaningful and beautiful.
#21
I think the field trip to Regions Hospital was great. It really made me stop and think about all the unborn babies that are being killed. I think we should do this every year. It’s a great experience. I also think the trip in silence was very special since we represent the babies who can’t speak.
#22
I had a good time. It felt goo to do something about abortion. I don’t care that people honked and stuff like that. I am glad we did this.
#23
I thought it was a great experience for us because now we know that abortion is real and they are killing babies. Today, even though it was tiring, we did the right thing.
#24
Praying the rosary at Regions Hospital made me feel nervous and good. I was only nervous at the beginning though because you don’t see a group of people wearing the same thing walking around in circles every day. After a while I wasn’t nervous anymore, and that’s when I felt good. I felt good because we were praying and because we were doing it for a good cause.
#25
I thought that it was really nice to actually go and pray the rosary right where the abortions were actually happening. Next time I think that we should pray the rosary on the bus too. Some people fell asleep so maybe that would help them to stay awake. I also liked how you had different people lead the different decades. It was a fun field trip I thought.
"Humility is the safeguard of chastity. In the matter of purity, there is no greater danger than not fearing danger. When a person puts himself in an occasion of sin, saying, 'I shall not fall,' it is almost an infallible sign that he will fall, and with great injury to his soul. We must specifically and regularly pray for God's assistance and not rely on our own strength."
– St. Phillip Neri
– St. Phillip Neri
"The man who burns with the fire of divine love is a son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever he goes, he enkindles that flame; he desires and works with all his strength to inflame all men with the fire of God's love. Nothing deters him: he rejoices in poverty; he labours strenuously; he welcomes hardships; he laughs off false accusations; he rejoices in anguish. He thinks only of how he might follow Jesus Christ and imitate him by his prayers, his labours, his sufferings, and by caring always and only for the glory of God and the salvation of souls."
– St. Anthony Mary Claret
– St. Anthony Mary Claret
"If we have obtained the grace of God, none shall prevail against us, but we shall be stronger than all who oppose us."
– St. John Chrysostom
Defeat
"The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives, who always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously embark on their way once more with humility, love and hope."
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #186
– St. John Chrysostom
Defeat
"The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives, who always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously embark on their way once more with humility, love and hope."
– St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, #186
Mrs. Coone emailed from the tortures of blazing sun of Arizona asking me to write a word or two on Lent’s end. Please accompany her with your prayers on her painful Lenten pilgrimage as she swelters away forced to sip her beverage without a sun-shade.
I will focus my attention on our Holy Father’s message for this year’s Lent as a springboard. Benedict XVI’s two-page message where he continues the thoughts of his first encyclical, is one of the most powerful pieces on any topic that I have ever read.
In Deus Caritas Est, he examined two primary forms of love: eros and agape. Agape is “the self-giving love of one who looks exclusively for the good of the other. The word eros, on the other hand, denotes the love of one who desires to possess what he or she lacks and yearns for union with the beloved.” The first love is self-less and focused entirely on benefiting the other; I first think of Mother Therese when I think of agape. Eros is the Greek word from which we get the English word erotic. That word has been burdened by its misuse, but the true sense of the word denotes married love.
Everyone in the past few generations has heard a million times that God loves us. In most corners, there is precious little else that is heard. Most of us know that God’s love for us is agape love. The pope, drawing from Scripture, says something more: “But God’s love is also eros….eros is part of God’s very Heart: the Almighty awaits the ‘yes’ of his creatures as a young bridegroom that of his bride.” Wow! He waits for me. He waits for my “yes.” He waits as a young (newlywed) bridegroom? Is there any more vivid image exploding with passion and desire for union?
That love and undying passion is the motivation in the Heart of Jesus that propels Him to embrace the cross, that instrument which enable us “to belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom 7:4). The cross is the revelation of God’s eros for you and me, and “the revelation of God’s eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of his agape.”
There was no attraction to the cross or suffering on the part of Jesus except insofar as it was a means to an end. The end is marriage to His bride. Men suffer and pursue and sacrifice to win over the woman; once the union is ratified, the mutual self-gift is consummated bringing forth good fruit. There will be no fruit if the woman does not say “yes” and give herself to the husband. The fruit will not long endure if the woman does not share in the suffering and sacrifice of life and if the man does not continue with his self-sacrificing love.
This is what Lent is about. The sacrifices of Lent are not the cruel tortures and deprivations of a criminal behind bars, they are the “unnoticed” tortures and deprivations of a lover waiting on his beloved. The lover forgets to sleep or eat or any number of difficult set-backs just to be with the one he loves. Lent is not a time to focus on sacrifice. Lent is a time to focus on Jesus, and Him pierced on the Cross, so that one may draw closer to Him doing whatever it takes to do so. Filling our heart with Him means emptying it of everything else. Being freed from all inordinate attachments sets us free to love Him more fully; that freedom is painfully won, but there is no joy without it.
Mrs. Coone only asked for a paragraph, and I see that I got a bit carried away. As the last days of Lent are upon us, let us pray for one another to fully participate in the passionate love God has for each of us. I will end with one final quote: “Let us live Lent, then, as a ‘Eucharistic’ time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed….Only in this way will we be able to participate fully in the joy of Easter.”
Mr. Biese
I will focus my attention on our Holy Father’s message for this year’s Lent as a springboard. Benedict XVI’s two-page message where he continues the thoughts of his first encyclical, is one of the most powerful pieces on any topic that I have ever read.
In Deus Caritas Est, he examined two primary forms of love: eros and agape. Agape is “the self-giving love of one who looks exclusively for the good of the other. The word eros, on the other hand, denotes the love of one who desires to possess what he or she lacks and yearns for union with the beloved.” The first love is self-less and focused entirely on benefiting the other; I first think of Mother Therese when I think of agape. Eros is the Greek word from which we get the English word erotic. That word has been burdened by its misuse, but the true sense of the word denotes married love.
Everyone in the past few generations has heard a million times that God loves us. In most corners, there is precious little else that is heard. Most of us know that God’s love for us is agape love. The pope, drawing from Scripture, says something more: “But God’s love is also eros….eros is part of God’s very Heart: the Almighty awaits the ‘yes’ of his creatures as a young bridegroom that of his bride.” Wow! He waits for me. He waits for my “yes.” He waits as a young (newlywed) bridegroom? Is there any more vivid image exploding with passion and desire for union?
That love and undying passion is the motivation in the Heart of Jesus that propels Him to embrace the cross, that instrument which enable us “to belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom 7:4). The cross is the revelation of God’s eros for you and me, and “the revelation of God’s eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of his agape.”
There was no attraction to the cross or suffering on the part of Jesus except insofar as it was a means to an end. The end is marriage to His bride. Men suffer and pursue and sacrifice to win over the woman; once the union is ratified, the mutual self-gift is consummated bringing forth good fruit. There will be no fruit if the woman does not say “yes” and give herself to the husband. The fruit will not long endure if the woman does not share in the suffering and sacrifice of life and if the man does not continue with his self-sacrificing love.
This is what Lent is about. The sacrifices of Lent are not the cruel tortures and deprivations of a criminal behind bars, they are the “unnoticed” tortures and deprivations of a lover waiting on his beloved. The lover forgets to sleep or eat or any number of difficult set-backs just to be with the one he loves. Lent is not a time to focus on sacrifice. Lent is a time to focus on Jesus, and Him pierced on the Cross, so that one may draw closer to Him doing whatever it takes to do so. Filling our heart with Him means emptying it of everything else. Being freed from all inordinate attachments sets us free to love Him more fully; that freedom is painfully won, but there is no joy without it.
Mrs. Coone only asked for a paragraph, and I see that I got a bit carried away. As the last days of Lent are upon us, let us pray for one another to fully participate in the passionate love God has for each of us. I will end with one final quote: “Let us live Lent, then, as a ‘Eucharistic’ time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed….Only in this way will we be able to participate fully in the joy of Easter.”
Mr. Biese
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